Timo Glock: a profile of the Virgin Formula 1 driver

BBC VIEW

Not so very long ago, Timo Glock was driving for the big-budget Toyota team and taking podium finishes alongside the Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari drivers.

That ended with the Japanese giant's withdrawal at the end of 2009, and the German grasped the only career lifeline available to him at the time - with the new Virgin team.

Glock's stats and facts

Team: Virgin

Team-mate: Charles Pic

Nationality: German

Born: 18/03/82, Lindenfels

Grand prix debut: Canada 2004

Two seasons of bitter struggle later, it is to Glock's credit that not only has he rarely let his frustrations show, but his reputation within F1 remains solid.

There were times in 2011 when Glock seemed a little below his best - pre-season, not many would have predicted that the admittedly capable Belgian pay-driver Jerome d'Ambrosio would out-qualify him five times.

But a wholesale technical reshuffle through 2011, overseen by the vastly experienced former Renault engineering director Pat Symonds, has raised hopes of a stronger future for Virgin.

In Glock, they have a driver who can be relied upon to do justice to the car.